WHY LEARN SINGLE CROCHET STITCH

Single crochet is often the very first stitch new crocheters learn—and for good reason. It's simple, sturdy, and forms the foundation for countless crochet projects. Whether you're making dishcloths, scarves, or detailed amigurumi, a solid understanding of the single crochet stitch will carry you far.

In this article, I will walk you through all the essential skills you need to feel confident with basic single crochet. There are different kinds of single crochet stitches, but here we will talk about the original single crochet. We can tackle other kinds later to bring you to the expert level. Right now we will concentrate on a solid foundation of your crochet journey.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Yarn of your choice
• A crochet hook that matches your yarn label recommendation

BASIC STEPS

1. Insert your hook into the stitch (or chain)

2. Bring yarn from behind and over the hook

3. Gently pull yarn through the stitch (or chain) - now you have 2 loops of yarn on the hook

4. Yarn over (yo) - wrap yarn from behind and over the hook

5. Pull yarn over (yo) through 2 loops on hook

That's it! Your single crochet is made!

SINGLE CROCHET IN STITCH CHARTS

In stitch charts single crochet (sc) can look like a straight or diagonal cross

Single crochet is abbreviated as sc or SC.

And this is how the fabric looks after making several rows of single crochet stitches.

HOW TO READ SC IN PATTERNS

In order to make a sample with 12 sc stitches across, you would need to begin with 13 chains. In this case, the designer would simply write:

Ch 13.

And a stitch chart will look like this:

You will need to insert your hook into 2nd chain from hook, and make a sc. Then you would make more single crochets until you reach the end. In a pattern it would be written this way:

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each st to end of row, turn.

The abbreviation st stands for stitch. Sometimes pattern designers write out the word stitch too. Everyone has their own style, but the good ones try to be concise and consistent.

The chart for the Row 1 would look like this:

At the beginning of the next row (Row 2), you will need to make 1 chain. Then you will be making sc into each stitch. The pattern will simply say:

Row 2: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.

or

Row 2: ch 1, sc in each st to end of row, turn.

There are occasional variations in the wording, but I hope you get the general idea.

The Row 2 instruction would look like this in a chart:

Notice, that the symbols will go left to right in first row of chains, and then go right to left for Row 1. Then, Row 2 goes left to right. As you can guess, Row 3 will go right to left and the chart will continue to zig-zag. Occasionally, charts will show the direction and that can be helpful.

COUNTING YOUR SC STITCHES

There are two ways to count:

• count the little holes right under the surface of your last row
• count the V stitches (they can be seen if you look down at your work while holding it vertically)

My second video below shows exactly how to count your stitches.

If all of this is stil confusing, my videos (below) should clear up any concerns. Yet, feel free to ask specific questions in comments and I will do my best to help you. Now, grab your yarn and hook and let's crochet along.

This video shows how to start and make your first row of SC:

This video helps you make your second row, count stitches and make edges straight:

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Remember to keep your stitches even, not too tight or loose is best
• Put your loops to the thickest part of the hook before doing a yarn over
• Don't forget to make 1 sc before starting every new row
• Always go into the last V before turning
• Count your stitches to avoid losing or gaining unwanted stitches

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Happy crocheting!